


The Choices We Make

by LibbyWeasley



Series: Blanca, Libby, and Sabrina Do Kink Bingo [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Choose Your Own Adventure, Cowgirl Position, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, Huddling For Warmth, Hydra, If you don't like the ending then try again, Jemma and Fitz date other people, Jemma and Fitz marry other people, Jemma ruins Fitz's wedding, Kissing in the Snow, Making out while watching documentaries, Marriage, Night Night Gun, Sci-Ops Era (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Season/Series 01, Season/Series 03, aida - Freeform, fitzsimmons family, whatever happens is all your fault, will daniels - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:34:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22810315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibbyWeasley/pseuds/LibbyWeasley
Summary: A Choose Your Own Adventure fic that begins with Jemma on a bad date. She calls Fitz to come rescue her...what happens after that is up to you!
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Series: Blanca, Libby, and Sabrina Do Kink Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615822
Comments: 26
Kudos: 46
Collections: MCU Kink Bingo Round 4





	The Choices We Make

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited to post this fic! The idea for this actually started as my Palentine's Day fic...and that quickly fell apart (thanks to Blanca and Sabrina). This starts with Jemma on a bad date, and then everything that happens after that is a series of choices. The work skin on the fic should create the right formatting (fingers crossed) so you can click to the correct section depending on the choices you make. Just a heads up that you'll see a scrollbar to read the entire section, so keep scrolling down until you reach the choice at the end.
> 
> This fic fills the squares "First Kiss" "Huddling for Warmth" and "Position: Cowgirl" for @mcukinkbingo
> 
> If you have fond memories of the Choose Your Own Adventure books like I do, you'll probably remember that most of the endings were absolutely horrible. I have stayed true to the genre here, so be prepared :P Most of the fic is rated T, but there is one option where things get E rated. That choice is marked as the T rated ending or the E rated ending (so you can choose or avoid that option as needed). If you get stuck or you want to find a way to the end, I posted a flowchart of all of the choices on tumblr on few weeks ago. I added a few options, but this is still basically right -
> 
> <https://libbyweasley.tumblr.com/post/190475938527/so-this-week-instead-of-posting-six-sentences-im>  
> 
> 
>   
> I could not have done this without @blancasplayground and @agentofship. These two are amazing and have the very best ideas! Their comments and encouragement keep me going <3 <3 <3
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy...and make good choices!

Jemma sipped her wine slowly, hoping to stall for time. Her date, an old family friend from back home, had just asked her to explain her research specialties again — after interrupting her the previous two times to talk about himself. 

The wine was good at least. She would have to remember to tell Fitz about the Tignanello. She’d thought it had been overhyped, but it really was quite good. She didn’t think she could ever call it Tig, though, like James did. Like he had a nickname for his wine. She fought back a giggle, but it didn’t matter because he seemed to have forgotten he’d asked her a question. 

“Mother always says the Super Tuscans aren’t the best. Not _all_ of the grapes are from Italy, of course, but I find them to be quite refreshing.”

Jemma generally preferred a good Bordeaux, but it seemed pointless to mention that to James, so she just smiled as she swallowed the wine, her mind searching for a logical reason for her to leave this date early. The weather was chilly, but there wasn’t a blizzard in the forecast. She knew because she had surreptitiously checked once the bottle of wine had arrived, hoping they’d have to cut things short. A Valentine’s Day first date had obviously been a mistake.

“It’s so lucky my mother spoke to your parents or I never would have known you lived in Chicago. We're fortunate we found each other again.”

He looked at her expectantly, but this wasn’t a path she wanted to traverse, since she couldn’t say the same thing. She needed a distraction. 

“Excuse me, I need to...run to the loo.”

She grabbed her purse before he could say anything further and headed in the direction the maitre’d indicated. It was a nice restaurant, she’d give him that. But she realized two minutes after he’d arrived — 15 minutes late — that nothing would ever happen between them.

Her eyes swept the restroom, tasteful lighting and calming music actually made it an ideal place to escape to. Perhaps the manager realized how so many dates turned out. At least the dates she’d been on. Normally she’d just slip out and never call the guy back, but James was a friend of the family. She couldn’t just abandon him. Her mum would find out what she’d done and she’d never hear the end of it. 

She pulled out her phone to text Fitz. 

Jemma: I need help. 

Fitz: What? What’s wrong?

Before she could finish typing her response her phone started buzzing. She saw Fitz’s picture on the screen — one from his last birthday when she’d surprised him with a small party of all their friends from the lab — and pressed the green icon to answer the phone.

“Hi, Fitz.”

“Thank goodness you’re alright.” He sounded strangely out of breath. “I thought maybe…”

Realizing how he’d misunderstood her message, she immediately started to apologize. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I worried you. I’m just hiding out in the loo. But I have to get out of here. He’s horrid.”

“I thought you said he was lovely.” That last bit was in a terrible imitation of her accent and she bristled a little.

“According to my mum, he is. But I can’t spend any more time here with him. I feel like I’m losing brain cells.”

“So just leave.”

“I can’t just leave,” she said, exasperated. Normally Fitz understood her perfectly, but they were never quite on the same page when it came to relationships. “He’s a friend of the family. His dad is my dad’s boss. There are _expectations_.”

It was no surprise he didn’t understand. Fitz’s mum never put him in these types of awkward situations.

He was silent for a moment and she waited for him to process, brushing back a curl as she examined herself in the mirror. None of her agitation showed on her face, thank goodness. James probably had no idea he was the last man she wanted to be out with tonight. 

“What do you need?” Fitz finally said. 

“James drove. Picked me up from the lab. I thought it was to be romantic, but he just wanted to show off his new car.” Even thinking about it irritated her again. He’d demonstrated every feature on his car, even driving around the block an extra time so there was time for the heated seats to warm up. “So I’ll need you to come get me.”

“Uh, sure.”

“Oh, and you’ll need to call me in a bit with some sort of emergency so I have to leave.”

“An emergency? Like what?” Fitz sounded worried and she rushed to reassure him. 

“It doesn’t matter. He won’t be able to hear what you say. I’ll just tell him there’s an emergency at the lab. Confidential and all that.”

The more she thought about it, the better that sounded. Her parents knew she took her work seriously, and since she couldn’t talk about the details of what she did for a living, there would be no way for them to confirm the truth of her excuse. 

“Alright. You know I’d only do this for you, right?”

“I know.” She smiled at her reflection. She couldn’t wait to get home and into her pajamas. “You’re the best!”

The twenty minutes she waited for Fitz’s call were some of the longest of her life. She twisted the napkin in her lap impatiently and almost reached into her bag twice to make sure her phone’s battery hadn’t died. 

But eventually her phone started ringing. James was startled by the sudden intrusion into his monologue and Jemma hid her smile before pasting on an apologetic look and mouthing, “I have to take this.”

“Hello?”

“Hey, Simmons. I’m outside.”

“Oh no! That’s terrible news.” Her voice sounded too loud and overly dramatic, and she forced herself to calm down. 

Fitz chuckled in her ear. “Shouldn’t be that surprising. You asked me to come.”

“An explosion?” Her brow furrowed and she turned wide eyes to James...who was staring at his phone with a frown on his face. “Yes, of course. I’ll be there right away.”

“See you in a few.”

Fitz hung up and Jemma stood, gathering her bag and her coat. “I’m so sorry, but there’s been an accident. Samples are contaminated. I’m going to have to work all night.”

“Oh.” He seemed to deflate and Jemma felt a smidgen of remorse before pushing it aside. She didn’t owe him anything. He made to get up. “Let me just pay the bill and I’ll drive —“

“No! No, that’s quite alright.” She started walking away and tossed over her shoulder, “We’ll have to get together another time.”

Fitz was waiting for her outside. Standing on the sidewalk. Her heart sank. 

“I had forgotten your car was in the shop.” Which was silly, really. That was the reason they’d had to take the bus to work that morning. “You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

“Yeah. No, I know. Wanted to. You sounded upset.”

“How did you get here?”

“Walked.” He looked pointedly at the heels she was wearing. “But I thought we’d take the bus back.”

She smiled gratefully as they walked towards the bus stop. The wind had picked up and with the snowflakes falling onto the already icy sidewalks, she didn’t fancy walking any more than she had to. 

“So, bad date?”

She sighed. “Honestly, it wasn’t the worst date I’ve ever been on.”

“Milton,” Fitz said sagely, nodding. 

“Yes. Well, it wasn’t as awful as that date. It’s just been a long week and you know the cold, dreary weather gets to me. I’d just rather be home.”

A chill went through her as the wind whipped around them. Women’s clothing wasn’t really designed to be practical in any way. Fitz saw her reaction and opened his arms as they waited at the bus stop. She moved closer to him and he put one arm around her shoulder, rubbing up and down briskly. Sharing body heat was much more effective, plus Fitz operated as a barrier against the wind, which helped her keep warm. Her shivering stopped as she soaked up his heat. He was always a bit of a furnace, which was problematic when they shared a flat and he kept turning the heat down, but at this moment she was extremely grateful. 

Normally the bus would arrive every 15 minutes, but as time dragged on it felt like it would never come. Fitz took her hands in his, blowing warm breath over them in an attempt to keep warm, and she burrowed closer into his side. 

Snowflakes fell gently around them and the city felt eerily quiet. 

“Maybe we should walk after all?” Fitz suggested tentatively. 

Jemma was loath to move, since she was finally warmer. Fitz was a very effective heater, which was something she’d have to remember if they ever went into the field.

Wait for the bus  
Walk home

“Let’s just wait for the bus. It can’t be that much longer.”

Fitz nodded and they huddled together for warmth until the bus finally appeared around the corner. 

“There it is,” Jemma said with a smile. 

As soon as the bus came to a stop and the door opened, they rushed toward the heat that was beckoning them from inside. It was only after they boarded the bus and tried to find empty seats that they realized it was full of men and women all in black. 

“Dr. Fitz. Dr. Simmons,” one of the men greeted them, gesturing to two empty seats with a large gun. “We’ve been looking for you. Welcome to Hydra.”

Hail Hydra. Go back to the beginning.

Jemma thought for a moment, weighing her options. The promise of a nice, warm bus and not having to walk in her heels was tempting, but the longer they waited for the bus the longer they’d be standing in the cold. 

Mind made up, she answered, “Let's walk. It isn’t that far and I could use the exercise.”

They had been waiting for the bus long enough that a light dusting of snow covered the sidewalk, making it a little slippery. But the large flakes dancing through the air made it all look too magical for her to care too much. She’d just watch her step.

They turned and started walking home. Fitz’s arm still securely around her, she slipped her hand into his coat pocket to keep it warm. Even though she had meant it when she said she wanted to walk, it would have been very uncomfortable without Fitz’s warmth beside her. 

Having Fitz in her life was honestly the best part of every day and part of Jemma wondered why she even bothered to look for someone else when Fitz was the one to fill that piece of her heart.

Not that he felt something beyond their friendship. But he was just...home. 

They walked a few blocks in silence before stopping at a crosswalk, the cold cutting through her jacket once they were no longer moving. 

“Cold?” Fitz asked, pulling her more securely into his arms.

Something that didn’t have anything to do with the weather shot through her as she was so suddenly surrounded by his warmth and that scent that was just Fitz — a mix of soap, his cologne, and something that smelled surprisingly like chocolate. She tucked her face against his chest so she didn’t have to face him and took advantage of the opportunity to breathe him in again, the fabric of his scarf tickling her nose.

He rested his chin on her head until the light changed and he nudged her to cross the street, giving her something else to focus on. The world around them bustled, people hurrying through the streets to their own homes and flats, but it still felt like the two of them were in a world of their own. A world where anything was possible.

She looked up at Fitz and started laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” he asked, as a shadow of something crossed his face. 

“The snow,” she said between giggles. “It’s turned your hair white.”

He released her to run his fingers through his curls and shake the snow loose. She immediately missed his touch, but it was probably for the best. The longer they were close like that, the harder it was for her to remember that Fitz was off-limits. 

Although...there was no reason he _had_ to be off-limits. She’d never dared to broach the subject, but sometimes it felt like there was something more between them. Like when he had come to pick her up from her disastrous date. Or when he had held her close during their snowy walk. And that was just tonight. 

But, no. Now wasn’t the time. 

She cautiously stepped further away, hoping some distance would calm her nerves a bit. But she was distracted by the direction of her thoughts and didn’t notice that she’d placed her foot on an icy patch. 

She let out a shriek as her foot slipped out from under her and saw movement out of the corner of her eye. There wasn’t anything for her to grab in time so she braced herself against the impact of the concrete, though she suspected her bruised ego would be the part that hurt the most. 

But then strong arms closed around her and she grasped Fitz’s shoulders as he held her. She was tipped back in his arms, her shoes scrabbling for purchase on the sidewalk. 

“Jemma...Jemma, relax. I’ve got you.”

He did. She knew he did. She just didn’t want to look like a damsel in distress fainting away in his arms. It was probably too late for that though. Finally looking up at him, she didn’t see the look that meant he was about to tease her mercilessly. Instead it was something else. Something more uncertain. 

His gaze dropped to her lips and she sucked in a breath. He was so close. All she had to do was move forward a little bit and they would be kissing. 

Was that what she wanted?

Kiss Fitz  
Let Him Go

Jemma was probably just disappointed after her date with James and projecting onto the nearest person. Fitz was her best friend and would never be anything more. Reining in her out-of-control emotions, she righted herself and stepped back. 

“Thank you.”

“Yeah. ‘Course.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s what friends are for.”

The words were right, but the intonation was all wrong. Jemma frowned, taking a few quick steps to catch up with him and he walked more quickly towards home. 

They never talked about what had almost happened that night, but when they got an opportunity to go into the field a few months later, Fitz decided not to leave the Sci-Ops lab.

Go Without Him  
Convince Him to go into the Field

Jemma felt a little sad about leaving her best friend behind but could admit that they’d been drifting apart for awhile. 

The time apart was a fresh start for both of them. 

Jemma’s career at SHIELD took her around the world...and through time and space. Sometimes it felt that those years at Sci-Ops had never happened. Everything about her life had changed so much that when she finally returned to Chicago years later, it was with a completely different perspective. 

She visited the places she used to go to and felt an odd sort of feeling. Something like longing for a life that could have been different. When she walked past her old flat, she smiled up at the brick facade, counting the windows to find her old bedroom...and nearly ran into a man with startling blue eyes.

He blinked at her for a few seconds, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Jemma Simmons, is that you?”

“Oh, Fitz! I thought I recognized you.”

She opened her mouth to say more, but a tall, dark-haired woman called to Fitz and his attention shifted away.

“Sorry, I have to go. That’s my wife. Aida.”

“Of course” Jemma nodded and hastily shook his hand. “It was good to see you.”

Jemma watched him go, frozen for a second before she shook her head.

“Who was that?” her husband Will asked her.

“Oh, that was just someone that I used to work with.” She smiled at him and reached for his hand, pulling him closer. “Let’s go home.”

You've made a bad choice (unless you like Will/Jemma or Fitz/AIDA, in which case, good job). Go back to the beginning.

After the first shock of hearing that Fitz didn’t want to go into the field, Jemma came up with a plan — a campaign — to change his mind. Going into the field without him wasn’t an option. It never had been. 

In the short amount of time she had left, she started mentioning all the things they wouldn’t be able to do if they were no longer together, hoping he would see he couldn’t live without her.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that _she_ was the one who couldn’t live without him. Her thoughts kept going back to that night they had walked in the snow. What would have happened if she had kissed him. Would she have seen this earlier? Realized that she loved him?

It was late on a Friday afternoon and they were still in the lab, debating ideas and talking over each other. And it all became clear. She loved him. That’s what mattered. As long as they were together everything would be fine.

Share Her Feelings  
Keep Them to Herself

After her revelation, Jemma did her best to keep herself from staring. Knowing she loved Fitz as her best friend and knowing she was in love with him were two completely different things. She almost told him how she felt hundreds of times, but ultimately decided it wasn’t fair. He needed to make his own choices and not go into the field because of her.

The day he decided to come with her -- finally swayed by her argument that a mobile lab would be the perfect way to see the world and have a great adventure together -- was one of the happiest days of her life. She promised to do her best to make sure he never regretted it.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t something she could control. In their years in the field, they experienced betrayal, pain, torture, and seperation. They almost died more times than she could count. And when they finally found themselves in a hotel room in Bucharest, they were barely still the people they had been back at Sci-Ops. But every possible future she’d considered over the years always had Fitz right at the center of it. And tonight, all of those possibilities were becoming reality.

T-rated Ending  
E-rated Ending

“Fitz...Fitz, I love you. I need you to be with me. If that’s here or in the field.”

There. That’s all she could say. If they were together or apart, now he knew how she felt. 

“Jemma?”

She could hear the awe in his voice. 

“Please say something. I need —“

And then his arms were around her and his lips were on hers and everything around her slid into focus for the first time. His touch was warm and sent tingles straight to her core.

When they finally parted it was for her eyes to meet his gaze. What she saw there removed any last shred of doubt. 

“Do you want to go home?”

T-rated Ending  
E-rated Ending

Jemma had just decided to kiss him when warm lips met hers. The contrast between the cold air and the heat of the kiss made it feel like fireworks were exploding along every nerve. He pulled her upright, her shoes finally coming into contact with solid ground, and she pressed herself tightly against him, memorizing the feel of his lips on hers. 

It was like solving an equation and realizing the simplicity of the solution. This felt so right. They just fit together in a way she’d never fit with anyone else. Even through all the layers of clothing, she could feel a slight tremble in his hands as they settled around her waist, and that more than anything else gave her the confidence to pull him to her for another kiss as soon as the first one ended. 

Their first kiss had been all sweetness and promise, the tentative meeting of two people who were uncertain what their future might hold. But their second kiss was full of deeper desires and the need to know everything about each other. Fitz’s tongue swept across her lips and Jemma smiled at his boldness as she welcomed his advances. She wouldn’t have guessed that he would kiss with so much passion — though perhaps she should have. Fitz wasn’t the type to do things by halves. 

His tongue explored her mouth and she melted into him, wrapping her arms more firmly around his neck. This time it had nothing to do with staying warm or keeping her balance. This time it was because she wanted to. After all of their years of friendship she had thought she’d known all there was to know about Fitz. She knew how grumpy he got when he was hungry, and how obsessive he could be when he was in the middle of a project. But she’d had no idea how he kissed or how he could make her feel just by holding her in his arms.

It made her wonder what else she didn’t know about him.

Her hands moved down the front of his coat, but there were too many layers between them and she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Is this -- is this alright?” Fitz asked.

He must have misunderstood her frustration.

“Yes, more than,” she breathed out before pulling him down for another kiss. This one sweet and gentle again.

When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers and their breath mingled. His hands came up to cover hers where they still rested on his chest.

“You’re freezing.”

As far as declarations went, that hadn’t been exactly what she’d been expecting to hear. He held her hands in his, ever so gently, and blew warm air onto her hands while looking into her eyes. It was such a tender moment that she was frozen by happiness. The cold didn’t even matter anymore. She was fairly certain all these new feelings would keep her warm.

“We should go home,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t feel cold. Not really. And I’m pretty sure that’s a losing battle when it comes to generating heat.”

Her mind flashed on several other options for keeping each other warm and she had to look away before he guessed what was suddenly on her mind.

“Yeah? I mean, yeah. We were walking home.” Fitz shook his head and then started walking again, one of her hands loosely in his. She gripped his hand tighter and he gave her hand a light squeeze in return.

The rest of the walk home passed in a comfortable silence. Their hands were the only point of contact between them, but that was enough to make her ultra-aware of her best friend. Thoughts kept turning over in her mind. Their first kiss had been better than any she’d had before. Fitz meant more to her than any boyfriend ever had. Their friendship had evolved over time and had changed as they had gotten older. Could it handle this as well?

She was still lost in thought when they arrived at the door to their flat and Fitz opened the door. They had stopped holding hands several blocks back and her whole body felt chilled.

“I’m sorry --”

“This is awkward --”

“I just don’t want to --”

“I know, me either. Wait, what?” Jemma was confused. He didn’t want to what? Didn’t want to be with her?

Fitz sighed. “I don’t want to ruin things between us.”

“Then we won’t,” she said with a nod.

“Because that was a good kiss.”

“A really great kiss!” she interjected, hoping he felt the same way about it that she did.

“A really great kiss,” he agreed with a small smile. “But is it too fast? Maybe we should sleep on it and talk in the morning?”

Say Goodnight  
Stay Together a Little Longer

“You’re right,” Jemma said with a sigh, moving away from him. “It would be more logical for us to take a step back. This is a big change for our relationship.”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin our partnership.”

Jemma chewed on her lip. He was right. This was about more than their friendship. Their partnership at work was equally important and a relationship could put that at risk.

“How about this...we spend the next six months deciding if we want to be together like this.” She gestured between them. It was a logical solution. “It will give us time to process what happened and to weigh the pros and cons of exploring a romantic and sexual partnership.”

He nodded. “And if either of us decides it isn’t a good idea, no hard feelings.”

“Agreed. Our friendship is the most important thing.”

They said goodnight and went to their respective rooms. Jemma thought it had been an elegant solution to the problem. The next time she kissed Fitz they would both know that it was what they wanted.

Three months later, when Fitz started dating a new engineer a friend had set him up with, she started to doubt the wisdom of that decision. Fitz, being Fitz, had asked her opinion of him dating and she had encouraged him -- if not wholeheartedly, then with his best interests at heart. She wanted him to choose her because he wanted her and not because she was his best option. But after he had dated Amanda for several months, it felt like the moment to say something had long passed. Amanda was good for him and it wasn’t fair to destroy his relationship when something between them might not work out anyway. So she let the six month deadline pass without saying anything.

And a year later when she watched the bride walk down the aisle at Fitz’s wedding, she knew she had made a horrible choice. They looked so happy together and while she wanted Fitz to be happy more than anything else...she had really wanted him to be happy with her. 

“...speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Stop the Wedding  
Forever Hold Her Peace

The newlyweds’ first dance together was beautiful. The bride — the new Mrs. Fitz — looked radiant as she smiled up at Fitz. Jemma grabbed another glass of champagne before pasting a smile on her face as Fitz glanced her way. 

She would do her best to make sure he never knew the most secret desire of her heart because she couldn’t bear it if she hurt him. She should have told him how she felt when she’d had the chance.

You've chosen poorly. Try again.

Jemma was moving before her brain processed what was happening. She had done her best to be supportive, to keep her true feelings from Fitz. If being with another woman — marrying another woman — made him happy, then that was all she wanted for him. 

Except that it wasn’t. 

“I object.”

Her date tugged on her skirt to pull her back down into her seat. “I don’t think you’re actually supposed to do that.”

“Well, he asked. And I do.”

She twitched her skirt out of his reach and stepped into the aisle, suddenly feeling exposed. Fitz’s gaze bore into her, his mouth slightly open in shock. His bride looked far less accepting of Jemma’s declaration, anger clearly flashing across her face. 

“Fitz, you are my best friend. And I thought...I thought that was enough.” Jemma tried to gather her thoughts. She really should have prepared for this. But honestly she hadn’t been planning on ruining Fitz’s wedding. She’d had every intention of biting her tongue and distracting herself with the attractive man from the gym that she’d invited as her date. But now that she was here, she found that she couldn’t. If this was her last chance to tell Fitz how she felt she was going to take it. She couldn’t very well wait until he was actually married. 

“Oh, thank goodness, love,” Jemma heard Fitz’s mum say from her place in the first pew. “You certainly left it late enough.”

“Um...I mean, I guess it is enough, if that’s what you want. But I want more. So much more. And I know I’m an idiot for waiting until now to tell you, but I just couldn’t —“

“Jemma, stop.”

Fitz’s voice was firm and it froze her where she stood. The woman standing next to him had an icy look of triumph on her features. 

“Do you really mean it?” He sounded uncertain and Jemma ached to reach for him. But he was still standing beside the woman he was about to marry. A woman that Jemma could now admit she was jealous of.

“I love you.” The words were hardly more than a whisper, but she knew he’d heard them.

The rest of the day was a blur, but it involved a very angry ex-bride, hugs from Fitz’s mum, confused wedding guests, breaking things off with her perfectly symmetrical if slightly dense date...and finally kissing Fitz again.

She’d made a lot of bad choices for them to get to this point, but at least she’d finally made a good one.

T-rated Ending  
E-rated Ending

“I don’t need to sleep on it,” she said. “I mean, that would probably be the smart thing for us to do...make sure it’s what we both want —“

“I don’t need to sleep on it, either!” The words tumbled out of his mouth, tripping over each other in his nervousness. But really, what did he have to be nervous about? That was the best first kiss she’d ever had and she was certain whatever came next would be just as good. 

“So…” She wet her lips that were now feeling a little dry. “What do we do now?”

“If you were anyone else I’d, ah, ask you out to dinner.”

“A date?” Jemma must have sounded more surprised than she’d thought because Fitz hesitated before answering. She held her breath. 

“Yeah, a date. But maybe that’s weird for us. We already know each other, right?”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t dress up and go out.” Her mind spun out of control thinking about how nice he’d look in his trousers and dress shirt. She’d seen him like that before, of course. At their graduation from the Academy, holidays, and when he’d gone out on other dates. But it had never been for _her_. “I think I’d like to go out with you. It would probably make me forget all about every bad date I’ve ever been on.”

Fitz’s face turned a little red and she couldn’t help the smile spreading over her face. He was surprisingly easy to embarrass. 

“Alright. Ok. Yeah.” He looked at her for a second longer. “Would you like to go out with me? To dinner? I can come up with some ideas for this weekend.”

“I’d love to.” Jemma gave him a quick hug, hoping it would help him relax. “But for now, why don’t we just watch a movie?”

“A movie, yeah.”

Watch a documentary  
Watch a romcom

Jemma hadn’t thought anything of it when she’d let Fitz choose what they’d watch. It hadn’t much mattered since she thought they would just use it for background noise while they shared more of those delicious kisses.

But Fitz’s eyes were resolutely focused on the screen. The only nod he’d made to the change in their relationship had been to stretch his arm out and rest it on the sofa behind her. But the distance between them made her twitch. He hadn’t made any move towards her and he seemed to be enthralled by the images of the monkeys on the screen. Not exactly the reaction she had been anticipating. 

Jemma spent more time watching him than watching the screen until she started to notice how tense he looked, the set of his jaw and the tension in his shoulders giving him away. Very deliberately she shifted towards him, closing the distance between them until they were pressed together from shoulder to thigh. The arm that Fitz had placed on the back of the couch was now around her and she relaxed against him.

His arm tightened around her and as he shifted towards her, she claimed his lips in another kiss.

Click to continue

The sound of the tv buzzed in the background, somewhere beyond Jemma’s consciousness, but the only thing she could focus on was the feel of Fitz’s lips on hers. They had started out sitting next to each other on the couch, but at some point they had toppled over so they were now laying side by side. 

Jemma hitched a leg over his thigh to get closer to him, but it still didn’t feel close enough. His tongue explored her mouth, stroking gently, and she briefly wondered why they hadn’t thought to do this before. But then that thought was gone and all of her energy was focused on kissing him back. She wanted to know everything there was to know about him. Uncover every secret. One of his hands slid down to grab her bum and she gasped. 

“Sorry,” he panted, pulling his hand away before sucking in a breath. “I didn’t —“

“No.” She grabbed for his hand and placed it at the hem of her skirt. “Don’t stop. Please.” 

She rolled her hips against him as his hand slid under the fabric, skimming across her thigh. She’d worn the skirt this morning thinking that it worked for both a day working on paperwork in her office as well as a night out, but she hadn’t fully appreciated it until this moment as Fitz’s hand moved ever closer to her center. 

His hand finally reached the lace of her knickers and Jemma moaned in frustration as his touch remained feather light across her skin. She wiggled against him, very clearly feeling his erection straining against his trousers. He could try to tease her, but she was certain he couldn’t hold out very long. 

She reached for the button on his trousers when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Answer the door  
Ignore it

“I guess we should get that.” Fitz stood up to answer the door and Jemma straightened her clothes before trailing after him. Perhaps she could convince him to take this into her bedroom after they got rid of whoever was at the door. 

“You weren’t expecting anyone were you?” he asked as he pulled the door open. 

She shook her head and then jumped back as two shots were fired into the flat. Fitz dropped to the ground and she caught a glimpse of his face with the telltale reaction of the dendrotoxin she’d been experimenting with. 

Not dead then, thank god.

And that was her last thought before everything went dark. 

When she opened her eyes, she was in a dark room she didn’t recognize. There were no windows and she had no idea how much time had passed. All she knew was that she was alone with no way out. The door was locked and she hadn’t had any training that would allow her to escape from a locked room.

“Fitz,” she whispered. She hoped he was safe...wherever he was.

After what felt like hours, but was probably much shorter, the door opened and a smiling man entered.

“Dr. Simmons! I’m so glad you could join us.” His voice was booming and he sounded like he was greeting her as a guest and not as a prisoner. 

Jemma stood, straightening up to her full height. “Who are you? And what am I doing here?”

“I’m John Garrett, agent of SHIELD, and I have a proposition for you.” She frowned and he flashed another smile at her before continuing. “We’ve seen your work and would like to offer you the opportunity to work for a special group within SHIELD doing top secret scientific projects.”

Jemma thought for a moment. She had wondered when the next opportunity would present itself. She couldn’t stay in the lab forever. 

“I won’t do it without Fitz --”

“Dr. Fitz is getting the same offer right now. I hope you’ll both join us. We need your expertise.”

It was lovely to be appreciated. And as long as she still had Fitz at her side, everything would be fine.

“So, Dr. Simmons...will you join us? Help change the world.”

“I’d like to talk to Fitz first. But, yes. I’d love to change the world with you.”

Uh-oh. Hail Hydra. Try again.

“We should probably get that,” Fitz said, though the hand slipping between her legs seemed to indicate he didn’t really mean it. 

“Let’s…” she moaned loudly as his fingers slipped under the elastic of her knickers. “Bed.”

That should be enough for him to understand. 

She stood on shaky legs and took his hand, leading him to her bedroom.

T-rated Ending  
E-rated Ending

_Two years later_

She never would have believed it on the day they had met — she had been so convinced he hated her — but as she watched him with their daughter she knew she’d never love anyone more than she loved him in that moment. The baby was laying on her blanket kicking her feet and it sounded like Fitz was explaining physics to her, his words quiet but impassioned. 

Jemma laughed and sat down beside them, reaching out a hand to smooth over her daughter’s wispy hair. At her touch Maddie turned her head and smiled up at her. Her angelic smile was completely infectious and never failed to brighten Jemma’s day. Maddie looked so much like her father with bright blue eyes and light brown curls and Jemma knew she was the luckiest woman in the world to have the two of them in her life. 

As Fitz leaned over to give her a kiss, she considered all of the choices they had made — both good and bad — to end up in this moment. 

It had been worth it. She’d do it all over again if she had to so they could end up exactly where they were right now. 

“You look a million miles away. What are you thinking about?” he asked. 

“Just that I love you, and this life we have.” The rest of it didn’t matter. They were together. That’s what was important.

And they lived happily ever after...but feel free to click here to start over and try another path.

The sheets beneath them were soft and silky, and Jemma couldn’t believe they had waited so long to be together like this. They had ended up on the bed, Fitz half on top of her, tripping over each other in their haste. 

Fitz’s weight on her held her in place on the bed, though she wouldn’t have moved for anything in the world. Desire sizzled through every inch of her body and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. They kissed and slowly hands began to wander and became bolder, slipping under clothing and tracing paths that were starting to become more familiar. 

They had so much to learn about each other and Jemma was pleased that they had the time to be so thorough. 

Finally, Fitz reached for the buttons of her blouse, sitting up a bit so he had room to work. Being undressed by her best friend wasn’t something she’d ever thought she’d experience, had never wondered what that might feel like. That had clearly been a mistake, because it was incredible. 

His fingers moved slowly and his eyes locked on hers. It was surprisingly erotic in the quiet of the room. She focused on slowing her breathing and Fitz seemed fascinated by the rise and fall of her breasts. Once the buttons were open, he slowly parted the fabric, revealing bare skin for the first time. 

“So beautiful.” His voice was quiet and almost reverent. Jemma worried for a second that he would be shy or cautious with his touch, but then his lips descended and he trailed kisses across the tops of her breasts down to the cup of her bra. 

“More.” Her hips moved, seeking him, and she moaned as he tugged down the cups of her bra and his lips finally closed around her nipple. Pleasure exploded within her and shot straight to her core. She felt needy. But also desired...and loved. 

It all felt so wonderful, but she started to feel impatient as he continued teasing her with his mouth. His hands drifted lower, nearly causing her to combust. 

“Fitz…Fitz stop.”

“What?” His head snapped up and the confused expression on his face would have almost been comical if she wasn’t so impatient to have him inside her. 

“Need you.” Shifting her weight once he moved away from her, she rolled on top of him, dropping her blouse and bra on the floor before reaching for his shirt. He seemed almost frozen, eyes locked on her breasts, but he allowed himself to be helped out of his shirt and trousers. Before long there was nothing left between them and Jemma carefully reached for a condom. 

Fitz swallowed audibly as he watched her open the package. She’d never felt nervous doing this before, but her hand was shaking a bit. There was a sense of importance to this moment, as if there was something tenuous about the path they were taking. As if everything could suddenly go wrong if they made the wrong choice. 

“Sorry...this is —“

“No, it’s ok, I —“ He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked like he was ready to run away. 

“Fitz.” She put a hand on his shoulder and he allowed himself to be gently pushed back on the bed. “This is such a big thing between us.”

His eyes darted down and she playfully slapped at his chest. 

“What? You’re the one who said it.”

Their combined laughter broke the tension and Jemma moved down the bed so she could lick his cock, swirling her tongue around the head. His laughter turned into a moan as he collapsed back on the bed. Served him right. 

She bobbed her head up and down a few times before unrolling the condom down his length. It _was_ a rather large thing between them and she was more than eager to feel him inside her. 

“Is this alright?” she asked, straddling his thighs. 

“Umm-hmm.” Fitz wasn’t terribly verbal at the moment, but his eyes were dark and intense. She wondered what he would sound like when he came. Only one way to find out. 

His hands moved up her thighs and he held on to her hips as she positioned his cock at her entrance. Closing her eyes she focused on the feel of him stretching her as she slowly slid down his length. They both moaned once she was fully seated and slowly moved back up. 

Fitz’s hands moved restlessly over her, leaving a trail of scorching heat and she shifted her hips to get more comfortable. Her heart beat faster as she moved, blood rushing through her body as Fitz’s finger found her clit. That’s what she had needed. Leaning back to rest her hands on his thighs for leverage, she opened herself to his touch. 

“Jemma…” She heard his voice, low and rough, saying her name and it was almost enough to undo her. But she wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer. The feel of him inside her and beneath her. The way they fit together so perfectly. His hands moving over her leaving her breathless. 

Thighs burning, she kept moving faster and faster, chasing the pleasure that was about ready to explode. 

“I love you.”

They were both panting from exertion, his hips moving up to meet hers, moans spilling from her lips as his thumb circled her clit. 

“Love you—” That was all she could get out before her orgasm surged through her, her inner muscles pulsing as the words broke off in a strangled cry. She rode him as the waves of pleasure receded, muscles tense, before leaning forward over him. 

She paused the movement of her hips as he gathered her close, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his embrace. She tucked her head against his shoulder and breathed him in as he whispered words of love into her ear. 

Once she had recovered a bit, she met the motion of his aborted thrusts in a slow grind. Pleasure built again at the new sensations bombarding her. She moved faster and his hands gripped her hips, pulling her down on him as he thrust against her erratically. 

Tremors radiated from her center as a smaller orgasm hit her and she lost her rhythm entirely. But that seemed to be enough for Fitz as well, as he pulled her down on him one last time before moaning her name. 

After a moment they both relaxed, unable to move. Jemma was boneless. Exhausted. But happier than she’d felt in years. Lighter, somehow, like she’d finally found what she’d been searching for. And he’d been right in front of her the whole time. She couldn’t help the smile spreading over her face and she left messy kisses on every bit of skin she could reach. She wanted to stay this way forever. 

Fitz shifted beneath her and she was brought back to reality, realizing she was still draped over him. 

“Sorry. I’ll just…” 

But her efforts to move were stopped as he held her close. 

“No,” he said sleepily. “Don’t move. I just want to hold you.”

With his arms around her and a feeling of peace spreading through her, she fell asleep surrounded by Fitz and love.

Click to continue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on tumblr @LibbyWeasley


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